This invention relates to a draining mechanism for an automotive door and, particularly, to improvements in a draining mechanism for rain water or the like introduced into the interior of an automotive door with an inside decorative plate mounted thereon.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an inside panel 2 for a conventional automotive door 1 is formed with openings 3 for providing a window glass elevation mechanism or a door locking mechanism and so forth.
When it rains or the automobile is washed, water introduced from a window glass elevation port 4 into the door 1 may partly leaks through the openings 3 causing moisture in the interior of an indoor compartment A.
In order to prevent moisture in the compartment in the automobile, a sealing screen 5 has been mounted to block the openings 3, and an inside decorative plate 6 has then been fastened through the screen to the inside panel 2 with clips.
In such a conventional automotive door, the water thus introduced into the door 1 is drained through a penetration hole 7 formed at the lower portion of the door 1.
The introduction of water through the openings 3 into the interior of the door 1 is prevented by the sealing screen 5.
In the example of the conventional automotive door shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a weather strip 8 is bonded to the lower surface of the inside panel 2 to confront the upper surface of the lower top portion 9 of a door mounting portion (a door way), and a projecting portion 10 is formed on the lower top portion 9 for making contact with the lower portion of the weather strip 8 bonded to the inside panel 2.
In the aforementioned conventional automotive door as thus constructed, the sealing screen 5 is, for the purpose of preventing the introduction of water partly into the interior of a compartment, additionally required to be provided and to be bonded as another working step. Accordingly, the number of components is thus increased, and the steps of assembling the automotive door is consequently increased, thus raising production cost. Further, when the sealing screen 5 is bonded, it must be bonded while taking careful attention so as not to clog with adhesive the small holes 3' shown in FIG. 1.
The small holes 3' are provided to drain any water into the door which was introduced through the openings 3 to the side of the sealing screen 5.
Further, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,473, in a vehicle body panel sealing means, the opening between the flange and the door outer panel at the upper edges of the door panel is partially sealed by a conventional weather strip engaging opposite sides of the vertically moving door window. However, it is still possible for water to pass into the door wall through the opening. In this prior sealing means, the water will collect along the lower wall of the door wall particularly in the channel defined by flange portions and the door outer panel since this is the lowest portion of the bottom wall of the door wall and flange portion slopes toward the channel. To drain off this water, a number of spaced openings are provided in the flange portion. In this manner, the water which passes into the door well through the opening between the flange and the upper edge of the door outer panel collects only in the channel defined by the flange portions and the door outer panel and is drained by the openings.